


and we're only several miles from the sun

by Sierra



Category: Free!
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Splash Free, Arabian AU, Implied Relationships, M/M, Mikoshiba cameos, Nomad!Haru, Sousuke's dubious moral code, captain of the guard!Sousuke, sultan!Rin, unofficial royal advisor!Nagisa, unsubstantiated claims of nudity on the part of one Nanase Haruka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-12-01 16:36:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11490366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sierra/pseuds/Sierra
Summary: "You couldn't have picked anywhere worse to sneak into. The royal baths, really? Even I don't go in there!"Haru closes his eyes. "The window was open.""Rin likes fresh air."Haru pauses, backtracks. "Why would you be there?" He looks Nagisa over again, slow and calculating. "Are you related to him?"Nagisa howls with laughter, collapsing against the bars. "No! God, no. He only has a sister," he says, grinning broadly. "I'm just his close friend. Confidant, if you will. My name is Nagisa.""I didn't ask.""Well," Nagisa declares, "I'm telling you."





	and we're only several miles from the sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AllyC](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllyC/gifts).



> a very, very late exchange fic! pls forgive my tardiness. ordinarily i would have gone with your RinHaru prompt but NagiHaru calls to me + first time for everything, right? :> i hope you enjoy!
> 
> (feat: a vague amalgamation of various middle eastern cultures, since the splash free ED itself dips into at least four. /sweats)
> 
> [the titular song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Yn1cqjuhPs)

Council meetings are monotonous as it is, but the droning tone of voice Sousuke uses to report on his findings could put Nagisa to sleep.

Sousuke’s arms are folded tightly, his spine as stiff as the deceased insect that’s been trapped in his backside since Rin reached his prime and took the throne for his ailing father. The words slip through Sousuke’s clenched teeth in a long-winded recollection of his day’s work. The lieutenant and junior officer on either side of Sousuke look as drained by the tale as Nagisa feels.

Most days he forgets their names. They’re recognisable by their distinctive hair and the pranks they’re famous for. Otherwise they’re mirror images of each other both in name and disposition. The older one, Seijuro, reminds Nagisa of some bird with obnoxiously bright plumage. Maybe a flamingo or a toucan. His eyes drift to Momo, the human equivalent of the rubbish-plundering ibis.

On the dais, Nagisa stands at Rin’s side, feigning an interest in the Captain’s report. He tries not to fidget, draping himself on the back of the throne. He doesn’t know what purpose his presence plays in these meetings; he isn’t part of the council. Political matters send him into a doze quicker than Sousuke’s lack of charisma. He serves as company for Rin in a sense—maybe a reminder that life exists outside these chambers. Rin has never been good with confinement, least of all confinement compounded by responsibility.

Nagisa almost pats Rin’s shoulder out of sympathy, both for the role forced upon him and having to lend his ear to Sousuke on a daily basis.

On the other side of Rin, Gou appears a good deal more attentive than her brother, whose boredom could easily rival Nagisa’s own. Rin slouches to one side, arm hanging down, and Nagisa surreptitiously replaces it in a manner more befitting of the king.

“Is that all?” Rin drawls when Sousuke concludes his list of petty thefts, street swindlers posing as fortune tellers, and drunken tavern fights.

Then Sousuke does something unprecedented: he smiles. “Not all, sire.”

Nagisa raises his eyebrows in alarm.

His interest piqued, Rin exchanges a look with Gou. “Do share, Captain.”

Nagisa doesn’t think he’s ever seen Sousuke smile in his life. Maybe once, a horrifying grimace of a thing when Gou accidentally broke Momo’s nose during training Rin insisted on for her protection. Unnecessary, considering Gou’s proficiency with a blade and her lightning-sharp reflexes, but worth the amusement at Momo sporting a bloody nose and blubbering on his brother’s crisp white robe.

“My lord,” Seijuro starts, exasperated, only to be silenced by a glare from Rin.

Momo shrinks back, hiding behind his brother.

“We apprehended a trespasser,” Sousuke states. “As he was trying to infiltrate the royal baths.”

Rin stares incredulously. “The _baths_?”

“Yes.”

Rin’s beat of silence is a slow welling of irritation. “And now I suppose you’ll tell me that you killed him on sight?”

“No.”

Rin’s fingers drum along the edge of the throne. “You exercised some self-control for once? That’s not like you at all. What did you do with him?”

“Imprisoned him.”

Nagisa stifles a laugh in his fist.

“For trying to sneak into the baths,” Rin echoes. “A waste of your resources, Captain. You could have just thrown him out or fined him. Why?”

“It’s sacred ground,” Sousuke explains with a straight face. “And he was naked.”

The more Nagisa absorbs it, the more absurd it sounds. He can’t deny his curiosity, as backwards as he—and everyone else—finds Sousuke’s logic.

“What should we do with him, sire?” Seijuro breaks in, stepping around Sousuke and ignoring the reproachful glance it earns him. “He has yet to be processed.”

“This is the Captain’s problem.” Rin sits back heavily, jolting the throne. “Take care of it, Sousuke. I don’t want to hear about it again, Seijuro.” He pauses, then glares. “You can go now. All of you.”

The brothers bow hastily on their way out, but Sousuke only stares at Rin a moment longer before he follows.

When the doors close behind them, Rin slumps and groans. “Does it ever end?”

“No,” Gou answers, rising. She runs her fingers through Rin’s hair as she walks by, and chucks him under the chin gently, then smiles apologetically at Nagisa. “Part and parcel of being heir, Rin.”

“It’s not so bad,” Nagisa says encouragingly, squeezing Rin’s shoulders. “At least you don’t have to do the dirty work like Sousuke. Although, I think he enjoys it a little…”

“A lot, you mean,” Rin corrects. “You’ve got a point.” Then he sighs and drags a hand down his face. “What’s my next appointment?”

“Uh,” Nagisa rifles mentally, crinkling his nose, “the banquet tonight with the Anatolian envoys?”

“Oh,” Rin says sullenly. “The _Anatolians_. The hellions who have been putting off negotiations for eighteen months and ruining our trade relations with Phoenicians in the process.”

“You should be kinder to Rei,” Gou scolds, stepping down from the dais. Her voice still carries, proving at least one of the siblings has been paying attention to lessons on how to correctly use their diaphragms. “He’s gone to a lot of trouble to keep those borders open for trade! You know how careful the Phoenicians are with outsiders.”

“Yes, yes.” When Gou is out of earshot, Rin pulls a face. “I hate the Anatolians...”

“They probably hate you, too,” Nagisa says with a sympathetic pat of Rin’s head. “Well, I better go and…” He searches for an excuse and titters, changing tack. “You have to be a decent host for once in your life. Don’t forget how to smile or chew with your mouth closed, okay? Your teeth are scary to strangers!”

* * *

True to the captain’s report, the prisoner is stark naked.

The tattered blanket afforded him is forgotten, folded on the cell bench. There’s a black cloak too, bundled with the rest of the prisoner’s belongings. He’s facing away from Nagisa, positioned along the mudbrick wall and curled in on himself. The prisoner doesn’t stir as Nagisa slinks down the stairs with loud and deliberate footsteps. The only light in the room is flickering from a lone oil lamp fixed between the holding cells. It allows Nagisa a glimpse of the prisoner’s bare back, his skin pale and unblemished.

The guard on duty above ground barely glanced at Nagisa when he came through, deep in his cups and seemingly unconcerned about the potential of an escapee. Most of the guard retinue accompanied Rin and Gou to the banquet; the rest are posted on the battlements or in the citadel. It’s a veritable ghost town in the dungeons, which suits Nagisa’s intentions.

He approaches and runs his fingers along the cold bars. He creates just enough din to disturb the prisoner, who tilts his head and fixes a stare so piercing on Nagisa that his pulse spikes. The prisoner’s eyes are a breathtaking blue, his hair a midnight black. The contrast between the two alone could make him an ideal candidate for Rin’s harem if it weren’t overflowing with unused concubines already.

Nagisa coughs out a laugh and crouches down.

“Hello,” he greets cautiously. “What’s your name?”

The prisoner surveys him warily. He turns back to the wall as if there’s some unseen solace to be found between the cracks of mudbrick. “Haruka.”

Nagisa smiles impishly. “I’ll call you Haru, then.”

The prisoner blows out a breath. “I don’t care.”

Nagisa makes himself comfortable in a sitting position, folding his legs. Sand fills the gaps in his sandals, still warm from the scorching heat of the day. He leans forward, fitting his face in a gap between the bars.

“So?” he prompts. “What are you locked up in here for?”

“Isn’t obvious?” Haru mumbles. His voice is faint and dejected. “Public indecency.”

“Hmmm, I don’t think so,” Nagisa muses. “Think harder.”

“Trespassing, then.”

Nagisa hums thoughtfully. “No, that’s wrong too. You’re not very good at this game, are you? Try again.”

“I don’t know,” Haru says with a touch of annoyance. “Trying to bathe.”

“No,” Nagisa says briskly. “Nowhere near the answer.”

Haru’s shoulders tighten. Nagisa would offer him a massage if they weren’t separated by the bars. He can’t help but pity Haru and his capture at the hands of a captain whose reason for imprisoning him is personal amusement. Sousuke has always been detestable that way; it’s little wonder Rin is the one of few who can stomach his proclivities. Even then, Nagisa suspects it boils down to their childhood friendship since Momo and Seijuro seem to share a mutual opinion of their captain.

Nagisa clicks his tongue and continues, more gently, "No one would blame you for wanting to be clean, Haru. No, I'm afraid the reason for it is much less interesting."

At that, Haru rolls to his back. He's gazing at the ceiling but it's better than staring vacuously at the wall. "If you aren't going to say why, leave."

"Oh, you're bossy," Nagisa exclaims with delight. "Rin would definitely like you."

"Your king?" Haru scoffs. "I don't care about that."

"You should," Nagisa says solemnly. "Without him, Sousuke might have done far worse to you..."

The name impels Haru to sit up. He glares lightly, and Nagisa blinks rapidly. "Is that the guard?"

"Captain of the guard, if you want to be specific." Nagisa cocks his head, hooks a finger under his chin "Actually, the reason he locked you up here is because he seems to have taken a severe dislike to you, Haru." He pauses. "You must have made him mad."

"I did nothing," Haru mutters, sounding tired, like it’s the hundredth time he’s said so. "I told you, I was trying to bathe. That's all."

"That's not how Sousuke sees it," Nagisa counters. "You couldn't have picked anywhere worse to sneak into. The royal baths, really? Even I don't go in there!"

Haru closes his eyes. "The window was open."

"Rin likes fresh air."

Haru pauses, backtracks. "Why would you be there?" He looks Nagisa over again, slow and calculating. "Are you related to him?"

Nagisa howls with laughter, collapsing against the bars. "No! God, no. He only has a sister," he says, grinning broadly. "I'm just his close friend. Confidant, if you will. My name is Nagisa."

"I didn't ask."

"Well," Nagisa declares, "I'm telling you."

A silence lapses between them. Haru is pricklier than Nagisa first suspected, and he can see why a prisoner with this particular disposition would rankle Sousuke. For a battle-hardened veteran of the guard, he's something of a sensitive soul, known to take offense to innocuous things. Nagisa doesn't dare ask what Haru may have said—or done—to Sousuke to earn such vitriol.

Now Haru is upright, Nagisa can't help but notice his full-frontal nudity. His eyes instinctively drop to Haru's lap. He giggles when Haru hastily draws his knees up and locks his arms around them protectively.

"Shy?" Nagisa asks, to which Haru violently shakes his head. "You might want to put your clothes back on. It gets cold here at night."

Haru averts his gaze. "I'll be cold with or without clothes."

"True," Nagisa agrees, "but I think you'll find it's much less cold above ground. There's braziers up there too."

A tell-tale shiver crawls across Haru's skin. He stares at Nagisa flatly, wrapping his arms around himself more tightly. "You're cruel."

"You shouldn't assume I'm anything like Sousuke," Nagisa scolds, sliding his fingers into the sleeve of his robe. With a mischievous grin, he procures a set of keys he pilfered off the drunken guard upstairs. He dangles them noisily off a finger for Haru to see. Haru's mouth opens in astonishment. " _Sousuke_ wouldn't set you free." Nagisa rises to his feet, and Haru mirrors him in all his blatant nudity, eyes riveted to the keys. "But I would."

* * *

Nagisa greatly underestimated the average speed of a camel.

As it turns out, a camel's top speed is fast enough to send wind whipping through his hair and against his cheeks. It's also more than a little nausea-inducing; his stomach dropped somewhere around his feet an hour ago. He’s seen camels up close before when frequenting the barn with Gou to watch her work her magic with the stubborn beasts. He never had a reason or the inclination to ride one before, preferring slow-moving carts drawn by oxen.

He clutches at Haru's clothes, burying his face into worn fabric that reeks of sun, sand, and a life Nagisa knows nothing of.

"Haru!" he shouts over the rushing wind. "Can't you slow this thing down?!"

Up ahead, Haru is in his element, unperturbed by the pace and bumpiness "Not unless you want to be caught again. You said the guards have horses."

"You couldn't have taken one of those instead?" Nagisa whispers to himself, then raises his voice again petulantly: "By the time they notice you're— _we’re_ —missing, it won't matter if they take the horses! They'll be coming hours from now and there's no way they can catch up to us that fast. Slow down!"

Along with the camels, the palace barns are home to powerful Andalusian stallions and Egyptian mares, purpose-bred for the hardiness and sure-footedness suited to travel over long distances. Horses are smoother to ride, far easier to control. Nagisa knows they don't smell anywhere near as pungent as the camel they're riding either.

"Haru!" Nagisa whines, tugging at his clothes. "Unless you want to see my half-digested breakfast, we need to stop for a while. Please, how much farther?"

“Just a bit more," Haru calls back. "Hold on."

Nagisa almost shrieks _like I have a choice_ but manages to clamp down on it.

For the first time since they stole the camel and fled the palace like a pair of thieves in the night, Nagisa is starting to have his doubts. When Sousuke finds out that he not only freed Haru but also facilitated his escape and accompanied him to the southernmost borders of their land, he's going to need all of Rin's protection.

Being the king’s friend has had unexpected benefits in the past. Asking Rin for a favour will make all the difference between life and death by strangulation at Sousuke's hands.

Nagisa shudders, palming at his throat. Then he burrows closer to Haru and clings to him tightly, trying to ignore the worry clawing at him.

True to his word, Haru slows the pace as they reach the sand foothills near neighbouring Sinai. Nagisa is no less accustomed to the camel's jarring movement, and he sighs with relief when Haru guides them to a stop behind a natural sand embankment, where they stand a chance of remaining hidden. Soon the cloak of night will provide them with cover, and the gentle breeze will dust away their footprints, but that doesn’t dispel Nagisa’s concern. Sousuke is a skilled tracker, and Seijuro and Momo have the tenacity, stamina, and stench of hunting dogs.

Haru dismounts first with the kind of grace a dancer would envy, looping the reins over the camel’s head. He reaches for Nagisa and helps him down. Nagisa wobbles on unsteady feet, propping a hand against the camel's shoulder. He grimaces at the texture of its fur, the cloud of dirt that assaults his nose when he gives the camel a grudging pat.

"Well," he mumbles, "I'm never doing that again."

Haru checks the camel's foot for stone bruises. He brushes his fingers carefully across the sole, then straightens. "Aren't you taking him back to the palace with you?"

“Wait, how do you know it’s—” Nagisa clears his throat, “that’s he’s a _he_?”

Haru raises an eyebrow, gesturing to the camel’s flank. “He has the parts.”

"Oh. Of course." Nagisa rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, you’re right. I have to take him back with me. I guess that was unavoidable..."

"I don't mind taking him," Haru says. "I have to walk otherwise."

"No," Nagisa sputters, shaking his head. The only notion more terrifying than riding a camel for ten miles is having to walk that far in the blistering heat of the sun with no respite. "No, I'll take him, thank you very much."

The corner of Haru’s mouth curls up in amusement. He moves to the camel’s other side to inspect another foot. "Nagisa,” he murmurs. “Was that your first time riding a camel?"

"Don’t be silly! I've ridden hundreds of camels, I've been on plenty of hunting expeditions. I’ll have you know that I participate in parades too, and I most certainly have—Haru, what is he doing?"

Haru drops the camel's foot with a disgruntled noise. "Relieving himself."

“Ugh, really?” Nagisa gags at the smell, ducking around the other side of the camel to a position that’s decidedly downwind. "You win! I've never ridden a camel before in my life, and I never intend to do it again. Are you satisfied now?" He glowers at Haru, holding a hand over his nose. "Maybe I should have left you in that cell to rot, Haru…”

"That," Haru notes, "would have been cruel. Which means you wouldn't have done it."

Nagisa puffs his cheeks. "You don't know me from a stone on the ground."

"I don't have to," Haru says, shaking the sand out of his robes. Then he climbs to the peak of the nearest hill to scan their surrounds while there’s still enough sunlight. Nagisa follows and stands beside him, brushing off a shoulder when it dawns on him that he probably has sand through his clothes too. Haru casts a small, knowing smile at Nagisa. "I knew you'd set me free."

"You didn’t know anything until I showed you those keys," Nagisa says. "You looked like a kicked dog back there, waiting for someone to come along and put you down."

Silence falls between them, yawning as wide as the dark, winding path that leads back to the palace. Haru stares out at it, a pensive frown at his lips. "Is that what he would have done to me?"

"Sousuke?" Nagisa pauses to deliberate that question. "I don't think so. Rin would have... Rin would have stopped him.” He giggles, covering his mouth. “Probably."

"Probably?" Haru repeats, undoing the sash of his robe. Nagisa wonders if he's about to expose himself to the elements again, but Haru just readjusts his clothes and ties off the sash again. "That's reassuring."

“That’s as reassuring as I can be when it comes to Rin.” Nagisa huffs out a sigh. "You can thank me for saving your life any second now, by the way."

Haru gazes at him for a long moment. The moonlight reflects in his eyes the way it might off the surface of a still pool of water.

Nagisa's heart skips a beat, then two.

"Thank you."

Nagisa averts his gaze, scuffing a foot in the sand. It still scorches against his skin and between his toes, almost as hot as his burning cheeks. "I would have done it for anyone. At least, anyone who manages to annoy Sousuke that much." A small smirk plays at his lips. "You made quite the impression on him, Haru. He's probably never going to forget your face or the fact you made a fool out of him… You should never come back here. Sousuke may only be the captain of the guard but he has officers posted in every town, along every border.”

"I don't plan to come back," Haru says resolutely. "I've seen enough of this place."

"Was it worth the chance to bathe in the king’s quarters?" Nagisa asks curiously. Sooner or later, Rin will want to know the same so he can laud it over Sousuke. Nagisa plans on being there for that moment. “All the trouble it got you in, the gruel and stale bread…?”

"No," Haru says, stone-faced. "The water was too hot."

Nagisa bursts out laughing. "That’s exactly the way Rin prefers it."

"All the more reason to leave."

Nagisa’s mirth evaporates as rapidly as water under the exposure of the sun. His hand falls to his side, and he nods mutely.

His fading smile doesn’t escape notice. Haru runs the back of a hand across Nagisa’s cheek lightly. His knuckles are rough and sand-dusted, a far cry from Rin’s soft and perfumed skin. Nagisa leans into Haru’s touch, trying not to look as forlorn as he feels.

As unexpected as his entanglement with Haru is, every step of the way was an adventure. It allowed him a taste of the life outside the palace walls. Though free to come and go as he pleases, Nagisa longs for it the same way Rin does. On seeing the chance, he grasped instantly it with both hands, eager and unapologetic. It’s what Rin would have done, if he weren’t tied up in the affairs and politics of the court. Nagisa isn’t sorry for what he did—only that Rin didn’t get to share it with him. He can guarantee that Rin and Haru would fight like cat and dog, even with a shared interest in freedom between the three of them.

“I pay my debts.”

Nagisa raises his eyes, daring to be hopeful. “I told you, Haru, there’s no—“

Haru silences him with a thumb across his lips. The touch is quiet, reverent. “You freed me.”

Nagisa feels his cheeks flush. “I guess you could put it that way…”

Haru appraises him with a lingering look. Nagisa summons a reassuring smile, stroking the hand on his cheek.

“I need to go,” Haru says after the moment passes. He draws away, eyes turned back towards the horizon. Something tugs at Nagisa’s heart at the wistfulness that flickers across Haru’s face. A longing for home. The intensity of his gaze when it shifts back to Nagisa nearly takes him off-guard. “Will you be safe?”

Nagisa blinks, still dazed by the Haru’s proximity. “Safe where?”

“The palace.” Haru frowns. “That guard. Will you be in trouble?”

“Oh, Sousuke?” Nagisa giggles, holding a finger to his lips. "Maybe a little bit of trouble... Let's just say Sousuke and I have a personal score to settle. And you were such a pitiful prisoner, Haru. I couldn't just leave you there like that! Anyway, don’t worry about me. I can look after myself. The king is very fond of me, and so is his sister." He offers a secretive smile and clasps Haru’s hand in both of his. “I’m much easier to get along with than Sousuke. I’ll be fine.”

Haru allows a faint smile. "I believe you."

“You, though…“ Nagisa clucks his tongue playfully. “You have a really long walk, since our camel friend here will be escorting me back to the palace.”

He squeezes Haru’s hand reassuringly. Haru drops his eyes with a slight nod.

 _You don't have to repay me_. Nagisa's smile widens. _Even if you didn’t know it._

* * *

“…and in the end, there was just _nothing_ I could do,” Nagisa finishes, teary-eyed. He spreads his hands and shrugs helplessly. “He threatened my life, I had to do what I was told. What would you have done in such dire circumstances, Captain?”

“Any of us would have done the same,” Rin interjects before Sousuke can launch into another round of interrogation. “We’re just glad you’re safe, Nagisa.” Gou nods her agreement, and Rin dismisses the inquiry into Haru’s disappearance with a flick of his fingers. “Enough. This is giving me a headache. He’s long gone now, Sousuke. You’ve lost your prize unless you want to hunt him down yourself.”

Sousuke inclines his head in grudging deference. “Sire, it was a violation of—“

“Of the laws that you’re suddenly so _interested_ in upholding?” Rin scoffs and beckons Nagisa to his side with the curl of a finger. Suppressing a triumphant laugh, Nagisa takes his place on the dais beside the throne and swipes at his eyes with a sleeve for effect. “If I hear another word of it, Captain,” and here he pauses, eyes narrowing to slits, “I’ll promote Seijuro and force you into early retirement.”

Sousuke’s jaw clenches. The sound of his teeth grinding is audible throughout the audience hall. His gaze slides to Nagisa, assessing his face for the truth.

Nagisa sniffles into a sleeve for good measure as Sousuke bows curtly, turns on heel and stalks out.

He practically collapses onto Rin’s shoulder with laughter when the doors are safely closed. Gou joins in a moment later, stifling it with a hand. “I owe you one!”

Rin roll his eyes and jostles Nagisa impatiently. “You owe me the _real_ story.”

“Well,” Nagisa says when his giggles absolve, “it wasn’t an elephant—it was a camel. But he was definitely naked…”

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://sierrasuke.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/sierrasuke)
> 
> thanks for reading!


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